Ch. 51 - The Last Remaining Villain
George David curled up at the edge of his wooden bed.
Pressing himself against the corner of the bedroom made him feel somewhat safer.
This deep night was far too silent, yet no one could sleep peacefully in the stillness.
His mother gently stroked his forehead, wiping away the cold sweat of fear from the young boy.
His father, old David, gripped a pitchfork and stood guard by the bedroom door on a hastily laid pile of hay—whatever trouble came, he would be the first to face disaster, the first to know.
The doors and windows of the house were tightly shut, yet the howling wind could still faintly be heard.
A single candle burned on the wooden table, its wax congealing on the surface, anchoring the white candle so it stood firm and unwavering—the only thing in the entire room that wasn't trembling.
"Mama, is what Father Lynn said true? Will orcs really break into our house..."
His mother shook her head. Her throat was hoarse, but she still forced herself to console him:
"No, of course not. Just like the stories I used to tell you—remember 'the big bad wolf that eats children'?"
"Of course. You always used to lie to me, saying that after dusk, the big bad wolf would run out of Dawnmist Forest and eat every child who came home late or didn't finish their meals—because they liked lean meat."
"See, our George is so smart, you can tell when Mama is lying, so can't you tell when Father Lynn is lying too? He's just afraid you'll sneak out at night, so he gave you that special warning."
"Really..."
George shrank his neck, not really believing his mother's explanation.
Because on ordinary nights, his parents wouldn't come to his room.
His father would usually stay at the Golden Oak drinking until dawn, rather than standing guard at the bedroom door with a pitchfork.
He remembered that about five years ago, the town had experienced a similar tense moment.
But when the morning light fell on the eaves the next day, everyone had been safe and sound.
Only the Golden Oak had gained a little girl named Anbi.
He hoped tonight would be like that day—that when morning came, it would turn out to be just a false alarm.
But reality refused to comply with his wishes:
"Bang bang, bang bang—"
Through a not-particularly-sturdy wooden door, violent knocking and a coarse voice reached his ears almost simultaneously:
"Open up, open up!"
George jumped in fright, but old David seemed to recognize the voice's owner.
He walked out somewhat nervously and opened the door:
"Ah... mister dwarf. What brings you to my home so late at night?"
"Cut the crap, I'm here to find something valuable."
"Wh-what?"
The dwarf before him was so blunt that old David froze completely in place.
Although this band of mercenaries had a poor reputation from the start.
Apart from Jackal, the other two hadn't done anything like bullying men and women, but they certainly didn't hold back when beating people up.
But they'd never dared to rob anyone on their employer's territory.
So now this was...
No more pretense?
Why?
"A while back, you just sold your crops to the miller, right? Hurry up and hand it over so I can move on to the next house."
Stonecrusher hooked a finger, urging him on.
"I, I—"
The town was small, everyone knew everyone, and it was hard to hide each year's earnings.
So watching the robbery unfold, he couldn't even find a suitable excuse to deflect.
Seeing him stammer, Stonecrusher understood his attitude and gave him a light push that sent the sturdy farmer tumbling to the ground.
The plate armor on his body was immensely heavy, making "creaking" sounds as it pressed down on the wooden floorboards.
"No—you villain, you can't break into my house!"
Old David scrambled up, trying to grab Stonecrusher's shoulder.
The dwarf casually swung a fist backward—not using much force, but it still sent him crashing into the wall, gasping in pain.
"Dad—"
George rushed out from the bedroom, clutching a kitchen knife in his hand,
"Bastard, why are you robbing our house!?"
But before he'd run two steps, Stonecrusher snatched away the knife and picked him up like a chick.
Damn, I can't lift him.
This kid was almost as tall as him.
He could only pin George's arms and restrain him.
"Don't talk like I'm only robbing your house—every household gets its share, so don't feel it's unfair—
Old David, hand over all your savings. You don't want your kid to get hurt, do you?"
"George!"
Old David practically ground the words through his teeth,
"You villain, breaking into a residence, robbery and assault... Lord Merle will remember the crimes you've committed!"
"Remember my ass! Your little lord, that little white pig, is so scared of the orcs he's tucking his tail and running away with the tavern mistress. You think he's got time to deal with me?"
"What—that's, that's impossible!?"
Old David's face filled with shock as he shouted instinctively.
But when he came back to his senses, a thought suddenly took root in his heart, impossible to shake off, and became like an ice pick piercing through his spine—
Could it be that the orcs Father Lynn spoke of were really coming to raid this small town?
Were even that merchant caravan and mercenaries unable to resist, planning to flee the town under cover of night?
Otherwise, why would this villain suddenly decide to rob people?
Stonecrusher wouldn't answer his many questions.
Tang Qi had told him that in acting, overdoing it was as bad as not doing enough.
Explaining too much would let people see through the charade.
So he laughed loudly, gripped the back of George's neck, and applied a bit of pressure, using action to make his attitude clear.
"I'll count to five, don't make me wait too long!"
"It hurts, it hurts—"
"Stop it, you bastard, put down my son! You just want money, right? I'll give it to you!"
Old David endured the ache in his abdomen and shot a meaningful look at his wife.
The woman sobbed and quickly retrieved their savings from a hidden corner—
A pouch of scattered coins.
At a glance, not enough to buy even one of Stonecrusher's suits of armor.
Stonecrusher wasn't sure if they were hiding more, but he didn't care.
His goal was achieved.
So he tossed the boy onto the hay in the bedroom, hefted the money pouch in his hand, casually stuffed it into the pack on his back, and hurried off to the next house:
"Open up, open up!"
So practiced that it clearly wasn't his first time doing this.
Old David saw the villain leave, instructed his wife and son to stay home, and under cover of the thick night, rushed toward the dirt road—
He had to expose this villain's crimes!
And he had to see whether what he'd said was actually true!
"Who's there!?"
But before he'd run far, two guards assigned to patrol positions spotted him.
They immediately raised their spears, ready for battle.
As law enforcement in Starberry Town, old David quickly turned around and pleaded with them:
"Don't attack! It's me, David the farmer!"
"Steward Huss has ordered a strict curfew. Moving about town without permission is a crime!"
"No, I'm just reporting—reporting that dwarf's evil deeds!
He broke into my house, beat my son and me, and stole what little money we had left!"
"A dwarf? Which dwarf?"
"The one from that band of villains. I'm requesting that Steward Huss deliver justice!"
The incident was sudden, and yesterday had been the Harvest Festival, with everyone busy.
So no one had realized that only one 'villain' remained.
With the merchant caravan leaving hastily early in the day, then rushing to build defensive fortifications upon their return, no one had time to mention the three mercenaries who'd vanished without a trace.
The two guards exchanged glances, their faces showing hesitation—clearly intimidated by the villains' past behavior:
"All right, we'll take you to see Steward Huss first and explain the situation."
They'd long been beaten into fear by the three villains.
Even knowing about the robbery, they didn't dare touch that bad luck.
How much were they paid? What were they risking their lives for?
Old David nodded repeatedly and was about to follow the guards to the town center to report the matter.
But just as they neared the small courtyard of the village official's residence, they encountered two fine horses being led over by a groom.
The leather saddles and harnesses were already fully equipped, looking ready to gallop away at any moment.
"We're finished!"
When he saw this scene clearly, he instantly recalled the dwarf's cold sneer during the robbery, and his heart sank in alarm,
"Could what Father Lynn said actually be true!?"
In his hesitant inner voice.
In his ears.
Clamor seemed to be gradually replacing the howling wind.